Make the MOST of your safety efforts
When I was a safety director at a construction company, I always told my area managers across 30 states to make the MOST of their safety programs. It became a catch-phrase I used to build the company’s safety culture across our jobsites. It stands for manage jobsite programs, OSHA LOIs, sell jobsite safety, and train workers.
Leaders in the company need to manage safety programs properly. I’d find that supervisors would take the safety manual and place it on a shelf somewhere in their office instead of reading and using it to manage safety. They never made enough effort to address safety programs proactively at their jobsites until there were issues or the area safety manager brought hazards to their attention.
Many programs need oversight on a jobsite, but I found that minor things receive the most neglect. A common issue on many jobsites was the use of hearing protection. Using the talk test isn’t enough. I’ll discuss when and why hearing protection is needed.
When OSHA’s standards aren’t clear about implementing its standards, I’ve often relied on its Letters of Interpretations (LOIs) for guidance. Two common issues I had at many jobsites were personal air sampling and multi-employer worksite issues. The standards aren’t clear about handling specific issues, but these letters are excellent supplementary guidance on applying OSHA’s rules.
Consider cross-training your workers. Doing more with less is a harsh reality for many jobsites these days. It’s not unusual that workers wear many hats from their first day on the job. I always took the opportunity at new-hire safety orientation to cross-train my workers. Project management especially appreciated me being efficient when budgets were tight. Two other common safety issues I had on projects included online training and hazard training. I’ll discuss why online first-aid training isn’t practical and why your project training program should cover specific hazards and general awareness topics.
A jobsite that properly manages its safety program and culture can have a competitive edge over other contractors. The construction industry can be harsh to underperforming contractors, often not allowing them to bid on work. You can make the MOST of your safety program by managing your jobsite’s safety programs, using OSHA LOIs for guidance, knowing how to showcase your safety successes, and efficiently training workers about project-specific hazards like airborne contaminants.
